St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1887-01-29
SALLIE'S TRAMP.
40 First Amused Her and at Last
Married Her.

ne FIRST Amused Her and at Las
Married Her.
The clatter ofpans. the rythmic thro
of the rolling-pin, with the accompani
ment OF slamming oven doors. and
g'ri CHEEKY voice singing snatches Q
o'd love songs. Pretty black-eye
Saille Elliott. farmers daughter, bus
at work as usual, and singing as sh
wrought that busy afternoon -befor
CHRISTMAS. Stewing and baking an,
trying to be done for tomorrow and to
morrow's crowd of visitors. and tn,
aroma OF stewing fruits. baking cake
and pies. and frying doughnuts file,
The room and was waited out through
the partly open door. and down to III,
roadway. Father and brothers hat
driven out into the field gathering corn
mother had just stepped over to .
neighbor's. and she was left all to he,
pretty self to do the accustomed Satur
day afternoons fixing. Quite . lot Of
II too. seemingly, for one pair of little
hands to do, but they were deft, willing
little hands, and the way work flew be.
fore them was simply magical. A
clumsy shuttle along the walk. an un.
steady step on the porch. and the door
was pushed rudely open. and . mans
burly figure darkened the doorway.
The blithe song died away in pitiful
little quaver.
''Ha. ha! Now have you! A weak
girl all alone men folks leave
neighbors too far to be alarmed-too
c0wardly to use weapons even did she
have them-in short an easy victim.
Te-morrow's dailies will announce
another fiendish murder by tramps to
. sensation-loving world! Just fresh
from slaughtering my one-hundredth
man, while my arrests, robberies ETC..
are entirely too numerous to mention"
All the tramp had said was only too
true. But though the rosy cheeks did
turn deathly pale and there was the
least perceptible quiver about the rose
bud mouth, the black eyes flashed
omincusly Is they cast furtive glance
at the cleaning butcher knife lying
near.
Butcher knife won't amount to q
hill of Misunderstanding the glance
.'will only add = spice of danger to the
sport, and thereby render it moro ex-
hilarating! Just IS we'll meet your
fate resignedly. Your only respite or
hope is. to ut once set before me plenty
of the very best you have to eat this
very minute. Look sharp now-'
She looked at tho man critically. Al
rough, ragged and dirty man. with un-
kempt hair and a rough stubble of
beard covering his face. and a pair of
bright mischievously twinkling blue
eyes that gave the lie to his threaten
ings.
20. perhaps you are not altogether
20 bad . man as you seem to wish to
make out, she ventured with . pitiful |
attempt at smile. AT any rate. not |
30 bad Is to take advantage Of a help
less girl who never did you HARM"
..Nhat. not. and tramp! A rag
gcd. dirty and brutal tramP?" he ex-
Claimed. .'Surely you can't have kept
up with the papers! All poor fellows
out of luck, and ragged and dirty are
tramps, and to be kicked and cuffed
about like dogs and then wondered at,
that some of them act the dog they are
treated.
..But all men . little ragged and
dirty are not tramps. more than all
men who are finely dressed are gentle
men," answered Sallie with . little
auph now. If they were. We shopA
h.ye lots Of tramps who are any thing
.,se. and lots of fine gentlemen who
|
III YOU doubt my tramphood. just
,ut something before me really good
o eat and / will convince you beyond
. doubt BE quick about il" seating
,imself 1T the table-''for l am in haste
o be through and proceed to murder
.ou. plunder the house. and then fire it
according to the usual and most ap-
,roved method"
Ssllis laughed little uneasy laugh.
I WAS plain to be seen that the fellow
,6 no notion of doing ~ he boasted.
tin her position was not one very en-
liable BY any means. |,
.Certsinly you shall have something
. eat" she fastened to say. I'VE never
nrn any one away hungry. no matter I
tho. Not very much of fire-let it s
- down while at my bread, stirring e
vigorously;-''will run out after . q
tile wood"
:.Not much will your exclaimed the '
ANN springing to his feet; ''am too T
,,rp for that: al you want is to- get 6
nt in sight Of some one passing and n
:.-. the alarm. saw the wood pile p
amps always look to that. you bet {
~ that II was all worked up too. else \
shonIdu't have honored you. I'll 60 b
r the wood while you put on my din G
e. BY the by. just introduce tho q
,f,ee Dot to the stove for my benefit. b
i'll you? =
,n.r.lIeled. and vet in the way he y
Ike Il. was not altogether disagrss:- d
|. So while he brought in the wood. n
ii lie. not unwillingly set him a Il
...rt;ful dinner, not forgetting the b